A semi-truck carrying shrimp took a spill in the early hours of Thursday, March 26, after its driver hit another semi parked on the shoulder of Interstate 5 east of Winlock.
According to the Washington State Patrol, the semi was heading northbound at Exit 63 at about 1:30 a.m. when it struck the stationary semi, rolled and came to rest on the right shoulder.
A video sent to The Chronicle by an employee of a local towing company shows the ripped-open trailer resting on its side. Many boxes are piled and spread along the grass.
The employee said the trailer was carrying frozen seafood. Troopers confirmed with The Chronicle that the trailer was, to be exact, carrying shrimp.
The state patrol said the truck and trailer would remain off the interstate for the day until they could be removed at a later time.
Troopers said the driver of the overturned truck, Palvinder Singh, 33, of Stockton, California, went uninjured in the collision, as did the driver of the parked truck, Mathias Q. Medjie, 27, of Houston, Texas.
Lewis County Fire District 15 — also known as Winlock Fire & Rescue — was dispatched to the scene shortly after the incident, according to a news release from the department.
Responders arrived with aid from Lewis County Fire District 2 in Toledo.
“Upon arrival, crews located the overturned vehicle off of the right shoulder in the trees resting on the driver’s side,” the release states. “The crews then located the driver who was pinned in the vehicle and was unable (to) get out on his own. Crews then used extrication equipment to free the driver who had the steering wheel and dashboard pinning his legs underneath.
The fire department said it took about 45 minutes to remove the driver from the cab. Singh was then able to walk “on his own power” to the ambulance for a medical assessment.
“After a complete assessment, the driver sustained minor cuts and scratches and declined to be transported to the hospital,” the release states.
Troopers indicated no drugs or alcohol were involved in the incident. The cause of the collision was listed as “wheels off roadway” in the state patrol’s news release.
Singh, whose truck was totaled, was reportedly wearing a seatbelt at the time of the collision.
